Storia do Mogor 354.4.1

354.4.1

All this I did and said solely to the end that it should not be thought I was needy, and also to let them know my lofty way of looking at things. My prince [116], when he knew what had happened, said that he felt I must have been brought up in the midst of riches. He sent me the money over again, recovering it from the porters, and added to it a valuable set of robes and a fine horse. He said he must maintain the customs of his court, but without my being subordinate to anyone, and that I should have entire liberty. Another mysterious thing happened to me when I first drew blood from the wife of the prince, called Nurnixam (Nur-un-nissã) Begam. The lady thrust her arm out from the curtain, as is the custom, and holding my lancet, I moved forward to open the basilic vein. I was still at a distance of six inches from the arm, when suddenly the princess turned round and threw up her arm violently towards the lancet — I know not whether through fear, or simply in changing the position of her body. The instrument went into the basilic vein, and blood flowed.